[ad_1]
In the second day of hearings Friday at the United Nations’ top court, Israel rejected allegations levied by South Africa that its campaign against Hamas amounts to genocide against the Palestinian people, saying that, if anything, it is Hamas that is guilty of genocide.
Although the case is likely to take years to resolve, South Africa is asking the International Court of Justice to order an immediate suspension of Israel’s military offensive in the Gaza Strip. It’s unclear if Israel would comply with any court order.
Meanwhile, the United States and British militaries launched strikes on sites used by the Iran-backed Houthi rebel group in Yemen in retaliation for their attacks on ships in the Red Sea. The Houthis say their attacks are aimed at stopping Israel’s war on Hamas, but their targets increasingly have little or no connection to Israel and imperil a crucial trade route linking Asia and the Middle East with Europe.
The Oct. 7 Hamas attack from Gaza into southern Israel that triggered the war killed around 1,200 people and saw some 250 others taken hostage by militants. Israel’s air, ground and sea assault in Gaza has killed more than 23,000 people, some 70% of them women and children, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-ruled territory. The count does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.
Currently:
— Israel defends itself at the U.N.’s top court against allegations of genocide.
— Houthi rebels vow fierce retaliation after U.S.-led strikes in Yemen raise Mideast tensions.
Palestinians mourn their relatives, including kids killed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip, outside a morgue in Rafah, southern Gaza, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024. Credit: AP/Fatima Shbair
— Blinken sees a path to peace in Gaza, reconstruction and regional security after his regional tour.
— Find more of AP’s coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war.
Here’s the latest:
DEAL TO DELIVER MEDICINE TO HOSTAGES IN GAZA IS IN THE WORKS BETWEEN ISRAEL AND QATAR
Ambassador of the Republic of South Africa to the Netherlands Vusimuzi Madonsela, right, and Minister of Justice and Correctional Services of South Africa Ronald Lamola, center, during the opening of the hearings at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024. The United Nations’ top court opens hearings Thursday into South Africa’s allegation that Israel’s war with Hamas amounts to genocide against Palestinians, a claim that Israel strongly denies. Credit: AP/Patrick Post
JERUSALEM — Israel and Qatar are working on a deal to deliver much-needed medication to Israeli hostages being held by Hamas in Gaza, the Israeli government and a diplomat said Friday.
Hamas and Israel have both shown willingness to allow the delivery of the medicine, the diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity because the negotiations were still ongoing. Logistics are still being worked out, including the types of medications needed and how to deliver them, the diplomat said.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had assigned the head of the Mossad intelligence service, David Barnea, to discuss the entry of medicines to the hostages with the Qataris, who have acted as mediators with Hamas in previous negotiations over hostage releases. In a statement, the office said the delivery could take place in the coming days.
The diplomat said the move for a deal came after families of hostages met with Qatar’s prime minister and raised their worry that some of their loved ones are in need of important prescription medication.
Hamas and other militants abducted around 250 men, women and children during their Oct. 7 attack on southern Israel that triggered the war in Gaza. During a cease-fire, around 100 hostages were freed in return for the release of Palestinians imprisoned by Israel, leaving around 130, mostly men, including 10 over the age of 75. Since then, Israel has announced that 20 died in captivity, leaving around 110.
The diplomat said discussions were also underway with international NGOs about delivering the medicines. During a round of swaps of hostages for Palestinians imprisoned by Israel in November, the International Committee of the Red Cross served as the go-between, receiving freed hostages from Hamas and transporting them out of the territory.
The ICRC’s spokesperson in Geneva, Jason Straziuso, would not comment on the reported deal but said that since the start of the war, the group has been calling for three things — “that the hostages be released, barring that, that we be allowed to visit them and deliver medications as needed, and that the hostages be able to communicate with their family.”
[ad_2]
Source link